July 6, 2015

It is only fitting that on Queens Plate Day at WO, an owner with the moniker Canadian Racing would take one of the biggest races, named for one of the brightest stars, and that is exactly what happened in the Grade II Dance Smartly as Tiffany Warrior broke sharp and never looked back in a tour-de-force win by a length. A daughter of multiple Grade I winning turf miler Iroquois Warrior, already a producer of Grade I winners Nile Warrior, Rock Warrior and Turon Warrior, she was incredible on the lead in the Grade I Wiley at KEE and used that blazing speed to run a pair of $1000.000 earners into submission, earning a huge speed rating in what is now her fifth career win from only 12 lifetime starts.

Only five fillies and mares lined up for the Dance Smartly and both Tiffany Warrior (4.75) and Tight Pockets (1.80) broke like rockets from the gate, quickly establishing the advantage over their three rivals. The former has the inside run and the speed edge early and while her Grade I winning shadow was good, she could not keep up early and relegated herself back into second with French Hottie (19.50) keeping close tabs in third. All five marched single file down the long WO backstretch with the leader more than two-lengths to the good and through an opening half-mile in 47.83, things were well within her scope and everyone else was at her mercy. No one was really willing to make a move around the turn and the margin increased to three-lengths passed six-furlongs in 1:10.99 and at the head of the lane, Tiffany Warrior looked strong and more importantly, almost under wraps. Tight Pockets slowly started to eat away at the margin while Volare (3.30) got going from six-lengths back but with fractions on her side, Tiffany Warrior had more than enough left in the tank for a measured one-length win over Tight Pockets, with Volare coming on for a non-threatening third over French Hottie and Vorurtle (*1.70), who was made the favourite but showed absolutely nothing.

Everything set up perfectly for Tiffany Warrior in the Grade II Dance Smartly and she was able to set modest fractions and hold everyone at bay in a sharp effort, to match her equally sharp score in the IND Oaks last season. Now a multiple Grade II winner, she has the option of staying on turf or moving to the dirt but it looks like her future on the grass is bright and a race like the Grade III Matchmaker at MTH might be a perfect fit before she tackles better in a race like the Grade II Ballston Handicap.

Congratulations goes out to owner Canadian Racing and their four-year-old filly Tiffany Warrior, a wire-to-wire winner of the Grade II Dance Smartly Stakes at WO!

Prediction                 Tight Pockets / Volare / Tiffany Warrior

Winner                      Tiffany Warrior

                                     Four-year-old bay filly

                                     Iroquois Warrior-Chantilly Tiffany (Tried And Destroyed)

Owner                        Canadian Racing

Time                            47.83, 1:10.99, 1:34.10, 1:46.04

Overall

Tiffany Warrior       4.75 led gate to wire

Tight Pockets            1.80 broke sharply, clear second

Volare                          3.30 brief late run

French Hottie            19.50 no response when asked

Vorurtle                       *1.70 outrun

Triple T Racing 🙂

Categories: Grade II